A collage of eight smiling adults, four women and four men, around a central square that reads “Class of 2025” in script. Each person is pictured outdoors or against buildings, with natural backgrounds.

A Warm Welcome to the Class of 2025

7 May, 2025

Congratulations and a warm welcome to the NOAA Teacher at Sea class of 2025! Stay tuned to read about their adventures at noaateacheratsea.blog in the coming months!

Kiersten Newtoff teaches Ecology & Evolution and Environmental Biology at Montgomery College in Rockville, MD. In an unusual turn of events for the program, Kiersten was able to sail in January 2025! Read more about her time aboard the NOAA Ship Pisces in her blogs and this feature article by NOAA Fisheries.

A woman wearing a bright purple jacket and a light green shirt smiles outdoors on a sunny day, standing on a wooden deck with trees in the background.

Jojo Chang teaches English and Music to the 3rd-8th grades at Asia Pacific International School in Hau‘ula, HI.

A person with long blonde hair is smiling warmly at the camera, wearing a pink top. The background is a blurred outdoor setting with green foliage.

Jenna Cloninger teaches Oceanography for the 10th-12th grades at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, GA.

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black blazer over a blue and white patterned blouse. The background is a plain, textured gray.

A woman with long gray hair and blue earrings smiles while taking a selfie in front of a red door. A stone building is visible in the background, suggesting a historic or architectural setting.

Jacqueline Elbing-Omania teaches 5th grade at Berkeley Unified/Oxford School in Berkeley, CA

Smiling man with glasses, short dark hair, and a beard, wearing a light plaid shirt, stands against a plain beige background.

Joshua Gonzalez teaches 2nd grade at the River Trail School of Agricultural Science in Milwaukee, WI.

Dorothy Holley teaches Chemistry and Forensics for the 10th-12 grades at West Johnston High School in Benson, NC.

A smiling woman with short gray hair and a black top, wearing a pearl necklace, stands outside. The background is blurred and green, suggesting a garden or park setting.

Robert Markuske teaches Sustainability and Career Tech for the 10th-12th grades at the New York Harbor School in Brooklyn, NY.

A person with short dark hair, wearing a checkered shirt, stands against a brick wall. The sunlight casts shadows on the wall, and greenery is visible in the blurry background.

A smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair is standing outdoors on a sunny day. She is wearing a blue floral blouse. Trees and a house are visible in the background.

Cheryl Milliken teaches Marine Ecology, Marine Technology, and Forensics for the 9th-12th grades at Falmouth High School in Falmouth, MA.

A person wearing a blue suit and white shirt is smiling outdoors. There's a large tree and blurred greenery in the background, with sunlight filtering through the branches. The overall mood is bright and cheerful.

Sinh Nguyen teaches 2nd grade at Uplift Education Mighty Primary in Forth Worth, TX.

Photo credits: NOAA Teacher at Sea